Can I Be Close to You?
by Morrie Tuesday
Summary: Quinn Fabray's past involves her childhood crush, Jeff Sterling, constantly bullying her about her weight and appearance. Heartbroken and changed forever, she grows with her experiences in high school, happy that she seems to be finally moving on. However, will a trip with the New Directions to Dalton bring back her horrible past? Or will it change her mind forever?
1. Prologue

**Hi, everyone, my name's Jo and I'm currently writing this story about Quinn Fabray and Jeff Sterling. If you're not familiar with Glee or the Warblers, Jeff Sterling is the blond warbler that is absolutely perfect and wonderful. This story is a bit AU, only in the fact that Quinn is not as mean as she was in Season 2, she's friends with Rachel, no longer dating Finn, and she has a back story with Jeff. **

**Other than that, I really hope you enjoy. I'll be updating as frequently as I can. Reviews are awesome :) **

* * *

5 Years Ago

"Oh my God, Jeff, look, your stalker's arrived," snickered Nick Duval to his best friend Jeff Sterling, star athlete and well-known singer of Belleville Middle School.

Jeff Sterling pretty much owned the school. He was an unbelievable talented boy with high hopes and dreams and an amazing groups of admirers to match.

That, along with his gorgeous brown eyes and quirky blond hair, he was a girl's dream.

A particular girl, however, had admired Jeff ever since she had laid eyes on him that first day of Middle School. Her named was Lucy Fabray.

Lucy Fabray, unfortunately, was on the opposite end of the spectrum.

She wore a face covered in red, bulging pimples. She was an overweight, unfashionable, stringy haired girl that didn't care for anyone at Belleville Middle School.

Well, everyone except Jeff Sterling.

"Dude, move out, the hippo is approaching. I repeat, the hippo is approaching," said Nick.

Jeff sighed, as he turned away from the crowd of cheerleaders to face Lucy. "Too late."

"Hi Jeff!" squeaked Lucy.

"Hey…" mumbled Jeff, while shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans, he felt Nick whispering to the cheerleaders behind him and hearing them snicker.

"Um, you know, I saw your test scores the other day for English and I saw you weren't doing so great, so if you want, I would be all for tutoring you daily."

More snickering.

"What do you mean 'you saw my test scores'?"

"Oh! Well, I, um, asked Mrs. Hawkins for a copy of them, you know, because I wanted to see if you were struggling in anything since you're so busy playing basketball and taking singing lessons, I just wanted to…" stuttered Lucy as she rambled on.

"Don't you have some pie-eating contest to attend to?" sneered one of the cheerleaders.

Lucy ducked her head. "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Jeff."

"Look, Lucy," sighed Jeff leaning against the lockers tiredly, "I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to decline."

"Oh," she replied disappointedly. "Well, um, there is that lab tomorrow. Frog dissections? Maybe you'd like to be partners?"

Jeff stared at her blankly as the snickering behind him began to turn into laughter.

"I've got a book at home all about animal anatomies. I've pretty much remembered every organ of the frog, so this lab will be a synch. Plus! The cloaca contains the poop, so I—

Suddenly, the entirety of the cheerleaders and Nick burst into loud, hyena laughs, while Jeff turned beet red. He glared at her.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"I—

"No, shut up! You don't get it, do you? I'm popular, you're not."

"But—

"Listen, what's it going to take for you to realize that I'm not interested in you? I, mean, Lucy, have you seen yourself in the mirror lately? You're…ugly, okay? And guys like me don't date girls like you. So how about you stop obsessing over me and get. a. life."

Silence.

Lucy lifted her glasses and wiped her eyes and nose with her sleeves. She was sobbing uncontrollably and Jeff felt a sudden pang of guilt, but was quickly replaced with disgust at the slob in front of him.

This was just sad.

"What the hell is she still doing here?" said Nick.

"Get out, Lucy Caboosey!" yelled one of the cheerleaders.

And with that Lucy spun and fled the scene, still crying and sniffling as the cheerleaders chanted,

"Lucy Caboosey! Lucy Caboosey!"

* * *

**So I brought back the true part of Quinn's past which involves "Lucy" and as you can see...she and Jeff aren't on very good terms. But please if you liked it reviews would be awesome and appreciated! **

**-Jo**


	2. Chapter 1

**So, yeah, I'm pretty much shipping Quinn and Jeff to the moon. My head is filled with potential for this story and I just have so many feels. **

**Reviews are awesome :) **

* * *

Chapter One

Quinn gasped as she awoke to the sound of her loud alarm clock. She quickly shut it off and rubbed her eyes, which were a bit red from crying.

She had been having that same awful nightmare that involved her awful experience in middle school and she shuddered once more from her flashback to her horrific past.

As she pushed over the covers of her comforter, she headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth, rinse her face, and apply make-up.

Quinn put on her chosen outfit which included a white lace top and a light yellow skirt with brown boots. And she smoothed down her hair, she gave herself a long look in the mirror and gave a forced smile.

She was no longer that ugly, miserable girl from Belleville. Instead, she was now Quinn Fabray, a 17 year old, teenage dream.

Quinn reflected how she had proudly lost all the baby fat and weight, and that she had gotten rid of all her zits and damaged hair with proactive and a nice trip to the salon, dyeing her hair blonde and giving into her natural curls.

She shyly admitted to her now close friend, Rachel Berry and others at glee club that she had previously gotten a nose job and complete makeover before coming to McKinley High School. They freely and willingly gave her an unconditional love accepting her for both Quinn _and_ Lucy.

She was the happiest she had ever been.

As she walked into the choir room that morning, Quinn felt a nostalgic, happy feeling…almost like you'd feel when visiting a close relative for a big family gathering. She felt at home and quickly took a seat between her friends Sam and Mercedes as they discussed the crazy dance moves that Mike was killing in the middle of the room.

Just then, Mr. Schuester walked in, bearing a grin on his face and took the black dry erase marker writing down this week's lesson: Know Thy Enemy.

"So," he said as everyone had taken their seat, "We'll be doing something a little bit different for this week's assignment."

Brittany spoke up. "Are we finally going to that Asian market down on Main Street with the unicorn vending machine?"

"Um, no, actually the focus of this assignment is to get to know our "enemies". Otherwise known as the Dalton Warblers."

A murmur of chatter rose within the choir room. Quinn was confused as well. What did Mr. Schue have up his sleeve?

"We are going to Dalton today to get to know what Kurt and his friends are like."

More chattering. Mostly all negative.

Finn shook his head. "Look, Mr. Schue, we're all really happy for Kurt and his new friends. Honest. But, it's kind of hard for us to go in there and try to befriend these guys. As much as we'd like to try, they might not reciprocate those feelings back."

"As much as I loved to see a bunch of twinks roaming around like a wild herd of gay, well dressed zebras, I agree with Finn. Sectionals are coming up and it's a bit too soon to get friendly," said Santana.

"Plus," included Mercedes, "they took Kurt from us, we all miss him like crazy and the fact that he's happier there than he was here…hurts."

"Guys, calm down. We all know the real reason Kurt left McKinley wasn't our fault. I just thought maybe we'd like to show him our support and appreciation by turning the other cheek and getting to know his teammates. They're an amazingly talented group of young men who'd, I'm sure, be happy to give us pointers to help us both become successful at sectionals," concluded Mr. Schue.

"So, get ready, the bus leaves in an hour."

* * *

**You may, or may not know what's going to happen next. Either way, thanks for reading :) **

**-Jo**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

As much as Quinn hated to admit it, Dalton was a very, very, very nice school. With its gleaming 1800s paintings and beautiful wooden décor, it was almost like walking into the set of Dead Poet's Society, one of her favorite movies.

As the New Directions arrived at the door of the Warbler's choir room, Quinn felt a pang of nervousness.

"Mr. Schue," she spoke up, "Are we even supposed to be here? We snuck in through the back door…

"Um, well, no. But—

A groan of annoyance and protests emerged.

"Hey," interjected Puck, "would you pussies rather be in class?"

The talking diminished.

"Here goes nothing," said Artie, as he lightly rapped his knuckles against the tall, wooden door.

After a couple seconds, a dark haired, seemingly polite looking boy popped his head out.

"Sorry, we're in the middle of an important choir practice that wishes not to be disturbed—

He looked up, eyes widened, then yelled over his shoulder, "Kurt! I think you have some guests." And opened the door wide enough for the New Directions to see inside a very professional looking meeting between the Warblers.

Quinn, as did everyone else's, immediately met Kurt's eye, burst into smiles, and ran to attack him in a group hug.

The Warblers looked on amused.

"OH MY GOD! KURT!"

"Kurt, we've missed you so much!"

"Nice blazer, Twink."

"Kurt, how are you?"

"Woah, woah, woah, let me breathe!" laughed Kurt as he emerged from the love fest. "W-what are you guys doing here?"

"We came to see you!" said Rachel excitedly.

"Unauthorized of course," finished Quinn, with a cheeky smile.

"Oh my God," said Kurt breathlessly, "I'm so happy to see you all. I've missed you guys so much…

"Ahem," coughed the middle Warbler sitting at the head desk. "Kurt maybe you'd like to introduce us to the New Directions."

Kurt began to maneuver himself around the room. "Of course! Alright, let's start. This is Thad, Wes, Andrew, Trent, David…

Quinn smiled as she met eyes with each one that Kurt pointed out. _God, these guys are handsome, she thought. _

…and Jeff and Nick," finished Kurt with a grin.

_Wait, what?_

As she looked up and saw the last two boys introduced, her stomach churned.

_This couldn't be happening._

It was the same Nick and Jeff who mercilessly bullied her in middle school.


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay. I've been so busy with twice a day fitness sessions, I think I'm on the verge of collapsing. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but hopefully my writing gets better as this story goes along. **

**Reviews are awesome :)**

* * *

Chapter Three

Time began to stop. Quinn felt her breath hitch and her heartbeat slow down. She ducked her head and quickly hid her face behind Mike, who gave her a concerned look.

This was awful, how could they be here? Of all places!

Quinn groaned as Mr. Schuester announced that his assignment would include the Warblers partnering up with one of them to sing a duet.

She quickly ran over to Rachel, who was listening intently on the information given. Quinn gripped her arm roughly and pulled her aside.

"Ouch! Quinn! What the—are you crying?"

_Oh crap. _Was she?

"Rachel, it's an emergency, I have to get out of here."

"What, why?"

She motioned to Jeff and Nick, "See those two boys over there?"

Rachel nodded.

"Remember, how last week I told the glee club that I used to be Lucy? How I was bullied so badly in middle school?"

"Yeah…

"Those two…they…um…they were the ones. They…they—

"Oh, Quinn," simpered Rachel as she quickly enveloped her in a hug.

Quinn let out a sob. "I just can't believe they're actually here. I thought…I thought I'd never see them again."

"Quinn. Listen to me. You have to be strong. You have to show them that you've won. You cannot let them get to you. Look at you, you're a beautiful, wonderful person and…I'm glad you allowed me to help you with this problem. I'm here for you, okay?"

Quinn smiled. "Thanks, Rachel."

"Okay, let's get back in there."

* * *

_"And we could live, like this forever, its fine by me," _

Sang the Warblers, finishing the A Capella version of Fine by Me by Andy Grammer.

The whole time, however, Jeff had his eyes on one person and that was the beautiful blonde girl sitting in the back. He had tried to make eye contact with her, tried to impress her with his friendly, flirty dance gestures, but she never looked up to meet him.

She was simply…beautiful. Her blonde curled hair and perfect figure. The permanent pout that played on her lips. Just sitting there, she was driving Jeff insane that he almost didn't hear his name being called.

"Jeff?" repeated the coach of the New Directions.

"Oh, yeah," he said raising his hand, "sorry, that's me."

"You'll be partnered with Quinn."

He looked up to meet the eyes of the mysterious girl who finally had a name. He gave her a friendly wave, which she coldly ignored and stared back at her shoes.

_What the hell? _

That was unexpected.

After the partners were finished being announced, Blaine decided that everyone should meet up and get to know one another.

Jeff got up slowly and felt Nick pat him lightly on the back. "Hey, who'd you get?"

"Um, Quinn," said Jeff as he pointed over to the blonde who didn't try to make any effort to meet him. "But…I don't think she likes me."

"Huh, that's too bad. She seems like a nice girl. Cute too."

Jeff felt a pang of annoyance.

"I'm with that Sam guy. Gotta go—good luck though!"

Jeff waved him off, making his way towards Quinn, who still wouldn't look up to meet his eyes. She seemed almost scared.

"Uh, hey, I'm Jeff."

Silence.

"Hey, are you okay," he coughed awkwardly.

Nothing.

"Is there…is there something I said or did? Quinn?"

More silence. This time she looked up with a frown and glared at him.

_Time to flirt, thought Jeff. _

"Hey, what's with the sad face? C'mon a pretty girl like you should always flash that pretty little smile of yours."

"Stop it," Quinn finally said, her voice quivering. "Stop."

_Uh oh. On to plan B. _

"Stop, what? Flirting? I can't help it. You're…beautiful."

"Stop! I mean it."

_Crap._

Jeff's smile faded. "Seriously, are you okay? Did I do something wrong?"

Quinn gave a heartless, breathy laugh that almost brought chills down his spine. "You still don't recognize me, do you?"

"Have…have we met before?"

"Maybe this will clear your mind a little bit? Belleville Middle School? The day before frog dissections?"

Jeff furrowed his brows. "I…but…you never went to Belleville…

"It's understandable," replied Quinn, voice dripping with sarcasm. "With the way I look now and the way you're attempting to flirt with me just proves you're still the shallow, obnoxious boy that used to treat me like crap."

Jeff grabbed Quinn's arm and pulled her out of the choir room into the empty hallway of Dalton.

"Let go of me," said Quinn roughly pulling her arm back from his grasp.

_She really hates me, thought Jeff. Why does she hate me so much? _

He was growing desperate. "I can't believe someone would hurt someone as amazing as you. Whoever he is, he's the biggest asshole I've heard yet."

She glared at her shoes angrily.

"Quinn…" he said, reaching for her hand.

She moved away. Then in a more sad tone, asked, "You still don't know who I am?"

Jeff frowned.

"It's me…Lucy. Lucy Fabray."

* * *

**Yeah for revelations! Sorry if this is going too slow for you, but the dialogue helps fill in the story lines for me. **


	5. Chapter 4

**So, I am so sorry for the delay in my updating. I went out of town and it was miserably wet and rainy and I felt no inspiration whatsoever. This is a bit short, but things will hopefully get better and longer? Yeah, okay. **

**Reviews are awesome, as usual :) Hope its sunny where you are. **

* * *

Chapter Four

_Lucy Fabray._

_Lucy Fabray. _

_Lucy Fabray. _

The name hit Jeff like a sudden gust of wind. Memories flooded back of him in middle school and that Lucy girl. Lucy following him around, finding his house on Halloween, her notebook full of sketches of just him.

That horrible, horrible day when he—even though he hated to admit it—went too far and told her to get a life.

_But it can't be her…she looks nothing like Lucy, thought Jeff. Lucy's weight, zits, and glasses versus Quinn's flawless…everything. They couldn't be the same person. Right? _

Jeff looked up to finally meet Quinn's eyes…and that's when he knew.

Those deep, hazel eyes.

Those same eyes that he once saw so lively and full of life whenever they caught his own in those familiar hallways of Belleville.

Those beautiful eyes…were now dead and distant.

"You…I…Quinn, I'm—

"Save it, Jeff," she retorted bitterly. She began to turn around and head back inside, as Jeff pulled her back gently.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened. But, c'mon Quinn, that was…what…five years ago? And look at you now! You've become this smoking hot—I mean!—beautiful girl. Why should it matter anymore?"

And with that, Quinn had roughly pulled away, once more. Only this time, she was absolutely livid.

"Why should it _matter_?! Do you have any idea how much pain and suffering I went through? Middle school was absolute hell because of you, Nick, and those awful cheerleaders!"

She furiously wiped her eyes and continued as Jeff stood there in shock.

"I came home from school every day feeling horrible about myself. I knew that nobody liked me, that nobody wanted me—

"That's not true—

"And, unfortunately for me, the only thing keeping me from that horrible place…was you. I knew I wasn't as pretty or popular as the other girls at school. But every night, every damn night, I prayed that maybe…just maybe…you'd notice me. That someday, you'd give me a chance. I did everything I possibly could to get you to like me. Even when you didn't give me a second thought, I still tried. I liked you that much."

"Then, the day before frog dissections…you broke my heart. You broke me. I was so humiliated that I considered committing suicide. Thankfully, my dad allowed me to drop out and join a homeschooling session to finish the year. And then I lost all the weight, went on proactive, and got a makeover. And then before I got to McKinley, I asked them to call me Quinn."

Quinn began to pace back and forth, quickly wiping her eyes and taking in shallow breaths.

After a few moments of silence, Jeff spoke. His words came out in broken phrases, like a scratched record. "Quinn…I'm…I didn't…I'm so sorry for what I did to you. I thought…I'm the biggest jackass in the world…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

With one hand firmly on the doorknob of the choir room, Quinn replied coldly, "I'm not that little loser from Belleville anymore, Jeff. You can't just give me that stupid look and expect me to worship the ground you walk on like I used to. I think I deserve more than that, don't you?"

And with that, she headed inside, leaving Jeff in a guilty, horrible state.

He suddenly realized how Quinn felt the day he told her to get a life.

_You've fucked up, Sterling. You really have. _

* * *

**Quinn is mad. Which is understandable. Review for more? -Jo :) **


	6. Chapter 5

**So, this week has just been non-stop terrible. There's been terrible event after event and I just really need some clarity at this point. However, updating this story does make me feel a bit better. Hope you enjoy! Reviews are awesome :) **

* * *

Chapter Five

Quinn took another second to calm herself as she walked into the light of the choir room. All her friends were gleefully laughing with their partners. Even stupid Nick Duval was testing his celebrity impressions with Sam.

"Mr. Schue?" She hesitantly asked him as he was overlooking the scene with a smile plastered on his face.

He seemed pretty occupied, so Quinn repeated his name.

"Oh! Hey, Quinn. I'm sorry, I guess I'm a bit distracted."

"That's fine. I was just wondering if I could possibly swi—

"Isn't this great? I, mean, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about coming here, but I think this is good for the New Directions. I feel like their counterparts are bringing out the best in them, don't you think?"

As Quinn looked around she noticed that Mr. Schuester was right. Everyone seemed to fit in perfectly with their partners. Santana and Trent were both sassily harmonizing an Amy Winehouse song, Thad and Rachel were laughing about some Broadway show, no doubt. Finn was paired with the head of the Warblers, Wes, so they were equally complimenting their leadership skills.

Everyone was happy.

Well, everyone except her.

"Oh, I'm sorry Quinn, what was it you were going to ask?"

She frowned. She mentally debated with herself. If she told Mr. Schue, then it could possibly ruin things with the New Directions and the Warblers. She would break Kurt's heart, not to mention selfishly neglecting the point of the assignment.

"Quinn?"

"I…um…it's nothing. I'm just really happy things are working out the way you planned," Quinn finally said with a sad smile.

* * *

"You've got to me shitting me."

Jeff groaned. "No, Nick, I am not "shitting" you."

After dinner in the dining hall, Jeff went up to his shared dorm with Nick to explain his confrontation with Quinn.

"Wow, I mean," stuttered Nick, "Good for her."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"It's obvious isn't it," Nick replied matter-of-factly, "She took all that negativity that we gave her and made herself this…goddess. I, mean, Jeff, you gotta admit that she's pretty hot."

Ignoring his question, Jeff roughly pulled the tie off his collar, cricking his neck in the process.

He rubbed his sore neck, saying, "It doesn't matter anymore. She hates me, end of story."

"Well, I don't blame her," retorted Nick.

"You're actually taking her side? She's the one that can't seem to move on. We were in middle school—

"Doesn't matter. We still hurt her."

Jeff huffed angrily as he changed into a Dalton cotton tee and sat on the other side of the room. A pout played on his lips and he silently began to do some physics homework.

"Oh, you're playing the silent game?" laughed Nick, "What are you…five?"

"Shut up."

"Look, all I'm saying is that we were assholes back then. I learned my lesson after Quinn left Belleville permanently to take on homeschooling. Thinking back on it, I wished I apologized earlier, or at least defended her once or twice. She was a nice girl."

Jeff scribbled more notes onto his workbook.

"And," said Nick softly, "I know that you feel just as bad."

After a few more moments of silence, Jeff sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I just can't believe my bullying impacted her that much. I feel like—

"Shit?"

"Yeah."

"Well, is she still your duet partner?"

Jeff nodded silently.

"You can apologize to her—

"I already tried—

"I mean…do something to show her you're really sorry. You're a smart kid, you'll find a way."

Jeff grunted in agreement, although he was secretly doubting Nick's plan. He reached over to turn his lamp light off and go to sleep.

He didn't though.

His mind kept replaying those same words Quinn had spoken to him that day.

And then it hit him.

He was a horrible, horrible person.

He knew how to properly apologize to Quinn.

_From now on, he told himself, my goal will be to make Quinn Fabray happy. _

_Whatever it takes. _

* * *

**Yay for a change in heart for Jeff! Don't worry though, I will try to take my time with this story. I've got some ideas just roaming in my weird head of mine. If you have any suggestions, leave some in a review! I may just use them :) -Jo **


	7. Chapter 6

**So, I had a little bit of time on my hands and I wanted to send this in before this week ends and I'll have to go to school soon. Seriously though, I am not mentally nor physically prepared for school and I just want to curl up in a ball and sob because ew. work. **

**Anyways, here's chapter six for you guys! If you can, please send in a review, they really do encourage me to continue writing, whether good or constructive. Thank you so much and enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter Six

_Damn Sue and her long "pep" talks, thought Quinn. _

Currently, a very flustered, red-faced Quinn Fabray, dashed through the halls as quick as possible. She had just finished an "important" head cheerleader meeting with Sue about uniform cleavage, and had just missed the first 5 minutes of glee club.

She pondered the consequences of her late entry, just for kicks.

Scenario A: She could possibly walk into a Rachel Berry solo, awkwardly having to bounce around and try not to interrupt a high note, or 1980s Broadway rendition.

Scenario B: It's a group song that she would awkwardly have to join in straight away, or everyone would stop and stare then groan because they'd need to start over.

Or Scenario C: They haven't started glee club yet, Mr. Schuester was possibly late.

At least that was what she was hoping.

But Quinn Fabray isn't that lucky.

After what seems like the quickest fast-walk in the history of the world, Quinn stumbled with the door handle, flinging herself into a choir room with the New Directions and…the Warblers.

_Oh, kill me now. _

She stuttered with an apology. "Mr. Schue, I am so sorry. Sue made me stay to discuss uniform changes and I—

"Quinn, Quinn," said Mr. Schuester in a calming voice as he guided her to an empty seat next to—who would've guessed—Nick Duval. "You're fine, you only missed my introduction. Take a seat."

_I'll take an electric chair over this one. _

She huffed and sat down, shifting awkwardly in her seat trying to avoid eye contact with her childhood bully.

As she listened intently to Mr. Schuester's talk about how excited he was to have the Warblers over at McKinley and the art of avoiding slushies, she felt an elbow lightly poke her in the ribs.

She rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the cause.

"Quinn," whispered the voice belonging to Nick Duval.

She shuddered. "Shut up."

"Aw, c'mon, not the cold shoulder. My blazer isn't thick enough to keep me warm," he said cheekily.

"Yeah, well, your ego is," she retorted.

She could feel Nick smirking.

"Ooh, nice one, Fabray."

"What do you want?"

"Well, for one, I'd like to talk to you like a normal person. So how about looking at me?"

Quinn turned slightly, her ponytail blocking one of her eyes. "Happy?"

"Good enough. Look, I just want to…apologize—

"Oh, God—

"No, wait. Hear me out. I am so sorry about bullying you in middle school. I know how awful I was to you and I don't blame you for hating me. But I just wanted to let you know that you were never a freak or a loser. I only called you that because I wanted to fit in. I was too stupid to realize you were actually pretty nice and cool. So…I'm sorry. Really."

Quinn was stunned. She had been waiting 5 years for an apology from Nick Duval and she began to realize that Nick was always just a follower.

_Maybe he never really wanted to hurt me like I suspected. _

Quinn still was silent until she heard him speak again.

"And that apology," he said softly, "was for Lucy."

And that's when Quinn looked up finally to face him, bearing a soft smile.

"Thank you. That meant a lot more than you probably think."

"So are we cool? You, me, and Jeff?"

Quinn frowned slightly. Crossing her arms comfortably in her jacket. "Two out of three."

Nick sighed softly, fiddling with the buttons on his blazer. "You still mad at him, huh?"

"Nick—

"…I know."

* * *

Jeff was trying his best to listen to the New Directions coach, but he was too focused on what he just saw a few minutes before.

Quinn Fabray, a girl who spent 3 years tormented by cheerleaders, was a cheerleader, herself. Not just any cheerleader but a, well, beautiful one at that.

Her high ponytail, short skirt, and varsity jacket shortened Jeff's breathing a bit.

Time at Dalton doesn't just restrict you from seeing girls…it restricts you from seeing cheerleaders. The academy had a strict policy on cheerleaders at sports games saying that having them there would "distract from importance and significance of athletic work."

Otherwise, Dalton Academy would not have cheerleaders practicing their backflips on school property. Not when most of Dalton consisted of highly-strung, grade A students who were bound for Ivy League schools. They simply couldn't be distracted.

But seeing Quinn in that uniform, to his dismay, really, really, _really _turned him on.

And apparently it turned on everyone else with a Dalton blazer as well, because Thad sitting behind him involuntarily kicked and David made a whining noise, while the others simply stared.

Jeff felt slightly annoyed and maybe even jealous? _No, that wouldn't make sense. I don't chase…they chase me. _

As the guys continued fidgeting, staring, and whispering she seemed oblivious to all this attention, which made her even more desirable in Jeff's eyes.

And then she took a seat next to Nick…and Jeff watched.

He was stunned.

_Unbelievable! Quinn will forgive Nick in a heartbeat, but with me, she could care less. _

Jeff groaned inwardly. All the more reason to try and make her happy, he supposed.

That's all Jeff seemed to be thinking about.

He pretty much craved her happiness.

But first he had to get her to stop being so freaking mad at him all the time.

…and he had just the plan.

* * *

**Yay for bonus chapter! So yeah, I know the ending was kind of cheesy but I had no way to make it manly/raw/not cliche. But trust me, it's going to get so much better and I'm really happy with my plot ideas! **

**Reviews are awesome :) -Jo **


	8. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone! So school is starting really soon and that means tired mornings..yay...**

**Anyways, if you're feeling as depressed as I am about the semester starting, I thought a chapter update would be a good way to cheer ourselves up. **

**Anyways, if you like the chapter or the story in general please please please please leave a REVIEW, they honestly make my day and could possibly motivate me to update faster :) **

* * *

Chapter Seven

"Why should we leave?" asked Quinn doubtingly.

"Aw, c'mon Fabray, what's a little fun?"

The blonde firmly crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to get into the shiny, black Jeep of Jeff Sterling.

"Just because Mr. Schue said we're allowed to leave campus for this period doesn't mean we should."

Jeff inwardly grinned at her defiant stance. She was adorable.

"You have doubts?"

"The less time alone with you, the better."

Jeff feigned hurt and grabbed his chest in mock agony. "Ouch! That hurt Fabray."

She remained stoic, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

"Seriously, Fabray. Give me a chance, please?"

She looked up and immediately regretted it.

_Those damn eyes. _

"Fine," Quinn mumbled coldly as she got into the Jeep.

* * *

The car ride there was awkward. Quinn was refusing to speak to Jeff as he attempted to make light conversation…all to no avail.

Finally, Quinn looked up from her phone to see where they had arrived.

"What the hell, Sterling?"

"It's Jeff, Fabray."

She glared at him. "I wouldn't say we're on first name terms right now."

He shrugged as he took the key out of the ignition.

"What the hell are we doing at a boxing club?"

"Easy with the language, Fabray," he smirked, as he got out and went back to open her door for her.

"There is no way I am going in there. Plus, we're supposed to be working on the song, remember?"

"We are," Jeff replied nonchalantly, as Quinn got out. "We're just taking a…different approach."

They walked into the building, Quinn reluctantly drawing closer to Jeff. They were in a sketchy part of town with equally sketchy people boxing that day.

"You still haven't answered my question," she said quietly, still not making eye contact with him or the guys staring at her with lust.

Unknown to Quinn, Jeff was staring daggers at anyone who looked at her. He wasn't sure if it was protective instinct or…jealousy.

_Anything, but. _

Soon, they arrived at the empty boxing ring, a set of gloves were hanging on the wire. They were pink.

"Oh no," said Quinn.

"Oh yes," replied Jeff handing her the pink set, while talking off his blazer.

"I already dislike you…do you think handing me boxing gloves is a good idea?"

Jeff pulled out a set of padded gloves and slipped them on. "Of course not. But I do think this will be beneficial for our…relationship."

Quinn lifted a brow silently.

_Damn her for being so freaking adorable, inwardly groaned Jeff. _

"Just trust me, please."

"I won't do this."

But Jeff was already up in the ring, holding out his hand for her to take.

"Oh, fine," muttered Quinn, ignoring his assistance, put on her gloves and got up to join him.

"Okay," explained Jeff, "see these padded gloves. You can punch them. I want you to punch them as hard as you want."

"What—

"I was an asshole to you back then. And I know that you've probably fantasized about the terrible things you could do to me; pushing me off a cliff, chopping my head off, burning me…

Quinn blushed furiously and looked down to hide her slight giggle.

Jeff grinned victoriously. "There's that gorgeous smile. Anyways, since my schedule doesn't really call for my sudden death, I just thought you could get out your anger with me…through boxing."

Quinn, still focused on her shoes, ignored Jeff as a small blush began to creep on her face.

He sighed. "Okay, well we can go out for some milkshakes or—

_Wham! _

Jeff flung backwards onto the hard mat of the ring and looked up to see a triumphant Quinn Fabray standing above him.

A devious grin evident on her face.

"Ow," groaned Jeff, "I told you to hit the padded gloves, not me!"

"Well, Lucy had always wanted to give you a piece of her mind and she did. Okay, hands up, I want to take a few punches."

Jeff slowly got up, grinning slightly at this confident girl bouncing on her toes with her fists up and ready. She had taken off her cheerleading jacket and began to take some hard swings at the padded gloves Jeff held up.

"You're pretty good," he said, tightening up his glove as he took another punch.

"Coach Sylvester actually made all the Cheerios take a boxing class to toughen up for Sectionals."

"Speaking of cheer, you're a cheerleader."

Quinn raised a brow at him.

_Stop looking so fucking adorable, thought Jeff miserably. _

"Good observation," replied Quinn sarcastically as she threw another punch.

"Sorry, I was just surprised, that's all."

She hit again. Harder, this time. "What? Didn't think a loser like I was could ever be a cheerleader?"

_Ouch, that one actually hurt. _

"No, of course not! I really like the fact you've got something you're so passionate about."

Quinn gave a final punch then stopped. She was red-faced, slightly out of breath, and her ponytail loosely letting some soft curls fall out.

Jeff felt his own breath hitch just looking at her.

As she took off her gloves, she placed them back on the wire and put her jacket back on, walking out of the building into the cold air.

Jeff followed suit, grabbing his Dalton jacket and meeting her outside. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing," stuttered Quinn, "I just needed some cool air. It's hot in there."

After a few moments of awkward silence, Jeff spoke again. "I really am happy for you. It's nice to see that you're happy doing what you love with glee club and cheer."

And for the first time, Jeff saw Quinn give him a genuine smile.

A small smile.

But a smile.

"Thanks," she mumbled, as he opened the passenger door for her. "And for the record, I totally kicked your ass in there."

* * *

**Yay! Finally some Jeff/Quinn interaction. If you liked it, please give it a review :) Anons are welcome. -Jo**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone! So, since I may be a bit busy this week I've decided to update again! Woo hoo. This chapter may be a bit of a plot twist in your Jeff/Quinn fantasy, but rest assured I have a plan. If you like this chapter and the story it really helps me out so much if you give me feedback. Your words and opinions mean so much and make my day :) **

* * *

Chapter Eight

"Dude, you're girlfriend's calling you," yelled Nick. He was lounging on his bed reading The Catcher in the Rye.

"Coming, coming," mumbled Jeff as he stumbled out of the bathroom, holding a towel around his waist.

He slid his finger across the bar, hearing a voice say, "Hey, babe."

Jeff Sterling had been in a relationship with Natalie Parkinson of Crawford Country Day, the sister school of Dalton, for 2 years.

They were—to Nick Duval's horror—an adorable couple.

They complimented each other's…well, everything.

They had met at a mixer and safe to say, she had caught Jeff's eye the moment he saw her.

Natalie Parkinson could sell anything with her looks. Even rusty lawnmowers.

Her long, shiny brown hair reached right at her backside, her petite figure came with years of track and field, and her eyes were a gorgeous blue.

Jeff and Natalie were the talk of the town when they first started dating. People nowadays pretty much figure their marriage is inevitable.

"Hey, Nat," said Jeff as he fumbled with the buttons of his shirt.

"You okay?" she asked, "You sound out of breath."

"Huh, oh no, just getting dressed up for our date tonight, that's all. My study group ended later than expected."

"You're such a nerd."

Jeff smiled. "I'll pick you up at 6:30, okay?"

"Okay, see you then. Love you."

"Love you."

"I'm going to barf," muttered Nick.

"Bye," Jeff said, hanging up. He threw his used towel at Nick roughly, walking over to his dresser to comb his hair.

"Ow!"

"Dude, you know Natalie doesn't really like you. If she heard you—

"I don't give a flying fuck! I don't care if she's hot, she can't take a joke."

"You slapped her face with a slice of pie—

"As a joke! We were at a food fight festival at Dalton, anyways. I just started a bit early, that's all."

"Lay off, Nick."

Jeff grabbed his Northface jacket and his wallet and left.

* * *

"Ask me again why I wanted to come with you to this?" asked Quinn, tugging her hat over her ears to keep the wind from freezing her ears off.

"Because," replied Sam, "My movie pass only works if I have someone else with me. And everyone else didn't want to come to watch a marathon of possibly the best movie series ever."

"I don't know a single thing about Star Wars," groaned Quinn. "Plus this line is huge, and it's like Antarctica right now."

"Yeah, it's pretty long," said Sam notably, "Here I'll wait in line and you can head over to the coffee shop around the corner. I'll call you when I get near the front."

"Thank God," muttered Quinn. "I'll see you in a few."

Sam grabbed her arm softly before she went to leave. "Hey, Quinn. Um, thanks for coming with me. I know this isn't an ideal way of spending your Friday night, but—

"No worries, Sam. I'm really glad I'm here with you."

Sam gave a lopsided smile, which Quinn returned and with that, she headed down the street, around the corner, and into the warmth of the small café.

She happily felt herself thaw and inhaled the smells of coffee beans and newspapers. Not surprised, Quinn found that there was an equally long line for coffee as she saw for the movies. But standing in a room with her favorite smells and a heater, she didn't seem to mind.

After she got to the front and ordered her usual of hot chocolate, since she actually didn't like to drink coffee, she waited patiently by the side until she saw a familiar blond head that made her stop thinking.

Jeff Sterling was in the café.

What's worse, he was on a date.

_Oh my God, thought Quinn. _

She quickly ducked behind a sofa, her heartbeat quickening.

This was awful. Not only was he the absolute last person she wanted to see, but he was completely making out with that girl.

And it was getting heavy.

_Maybe, I can hide here until they leave. And then I can—_

"QUINN FABRAY!" yelled the barista. "QUINN FABRAY, HOT CHOCOLATE!"

_Oh crap. _

Quinn got up from behind the couch. As she approached the front desk, she fumbled with her purse, struggling to find her receipt to show, while she felt Jeff's eyes practically boring into her skull.

As she got her cup of hot chocolate, she reluctantly turned around to find Jeff and the mystery girl getting up and meeting her halfway towards the exit.

* * *

Jeff was just as surprised to see Quinn at the same coffee shop he was in.

Nevertheless, even more surprised as he saw her get up from behind the couch, her hiding spot, no doubt, and pretend not to notice him.

It brought back memories when Lucy would stalk him on dates with girls from Belleville. He felt a bit awkward and almost worried that that was the case.

_Maybe she really does still like me, thought Jeff. What if she followed me and Natalie here? _

It was a possibility.

"Hey, Quinn," he said as she approached.

Usually when he'd catch her spying, she'd instantly turn red and immediately squeak an excuse to why she so happened to be there also.

But Quinn wasn't red at all. In fact, she looked almost miserable and not happy to see him at all.

"Hey," she said awkwardly as she pulled her hat down further over her ears. Her loose curls and bangs framed her face perfectly, Jeff almost sighed at how adorable she looked without even trying.

He felt Natalie stiffen by his side, gripping his arm tighter. She coughed.

_Oh, right. _

"Quinn, this is Natalie, my girlfriend."

"Hi, nice to meet you," said Quinn shaking her hand.

Natalie seemed a bit shaken as she asked, "So, are you one of Jeff's friends?"

"Yes!" "No!" Both Quinn and Jeff said at the same time.

He raised a brow at her.

_She could at least say we're friends for God's sakes. It's not like we're enemies. Right? _

"I got to McKinley High School," explained Quinn, "Jeff and I were assigned partners. We're working on a duet."

"Yup," said Jeff automatically. He felt Natalie's grip tighten once more.

"That's funny, Jeff. You never told me about Quinn or this project."

_Whoops, better change the subject. _

"So, Quinn, what are you doing here? Kind of coincidental, huh?"

Quinn raised a brow. "Actually I'm here with—

"QUINN!" said a voice. Jeff looked up to see a blonde haired boy, almost similar in hairstyles to him, running towards them. He was wearing a McKinley varsity jacket and holding two tickets in his hand.

_Wait a minute. _

"Quinn," he said, breathing a bit heavily, "I tried calling you, I got the tickets, we gotta go right now."

"Okay," said Quinn with a laugh, "Jeff, you know Sam from glee club right?"

Jeff nodded silently. Still working up the situation in his mind.

_Quinn's dating Sam?_

"Well, we have to go as well," said Natalie, directing herself and Jeff towards the exit, "Bye Quinn."

"Bye," Quinn said as Jeff saw Sam grab her hand and walk briskly towards the theater.

He felt slightly annoyed.

_You're jealous, Sterling, said the voice in his head. _

_Shut up. I'm not. I'm just…surprised. _

_Admit it, you're mad because that hot piece of cheerleading ass is dating her equally hot football player. _

"Shut up!" muttered Jeff suddenly.

"Excuse me?" said Natalie, as she climbed into the Jeep.

"What? Oh, not you, Nat. I was just thinking about things."

"Me too. How come you didn't tell me about Quinn?"

Jeff turned over to look at her. Her arms were crossed and she had a look similar to what Jeff had a few minutes ago.

"I just thought it wasn't that important."

"Not important? Jeff, you're spending time with…another girl."

"Woah woah woah. Are you accusing me of possibly cheating on you with Quinn?"

"I'm not! I'm just concerned that since you're spending a reasonable fair amount of time with a… not ugly girl, I just want to know that this is strictly business."

Jeff laughed. After a few moments, he stopped, noticed Natalie was still crossed and frowned. "You're serious?"

"Duh."

He stared at her incredulously. "You think that I would throw away our two year relationship with a girl I just met?"

Jeff didn't feel like explaining Lucy to Natalie. So, he kept the story within his relationship with Quinn Fabray of the present.

"Jeff," Natalie replied, staring at her lap, "I...I…I just...look, she's a pretty girl and she's a cheerleader too, I don't necessarily feel comfortable—

And then Jeff kissed her softly.

He did that every so often if fights broke out between the two. It was an easy way to keep things quiet and ease the tension.

Afterwards he said, "She may be pretty, but you're beautiful, babe."

Natalie smiled, giving him soft kisses on his neck. "You're right. I'm sorry. I was overreacting…

She climbed across the dashboard onto his lap, nipping on flesh as Jeff groaned.

"…plus it was pretty obvious she's in a relationship with that guy, so—

Jeff sat up, abruptly hitting his head on the car roof.

"Oh, babe!" exclaimed Natalie, "Are you okay?"

He rubbed his head. "We…how…how do you know they're dating?"

"It's obvious isn't it? She's a cheerleader, he's a football player? Plus, they're kind of cute like us, don't you think?"

"That's debatable," muttered Jeff, speaking up he said, "Hey babe, let's go, I gotta drop you off before 11."

The car ride back was spent listening to the Beatles and Natalie singing along with Jeff. Although his mind wasn't exactly focused on Hey Jude, but on what could possibly be going on between Quinn and Sam in that dark movie theater.

He gripped the steering wheel harder, trying desperately to push those thoughts away.

* * *

**Loooonnnnggg chapter. And Jeff has a girlfriend. This should be interesting. If you read this, please take some of your time to REVIEW this chapter or the story. Tell me whatcha think and if you like it please and thank you :) -Jo **


	10. Chapter 9

**Hi everyone! I'm really sorry for the delay, but I was busy preparing for a small vacation by the beach since it's Labor Day weekend! Anyways, I've decided to upload both chapters 9 and 10 since you all were so patient and nice in the comments. This is a short chapter but it's different because, well, let's just say...sexy. Anyways, if you liked this chapter or the story please please please REVIEW! they make my day. **

* * *

Chapter Nine

"Mr. Schuester, with all due respect," said Wes, "Are you sure that your school authorities permit the New Directions to come to Dalton?"

The New Directions had once again snuck into Dalton Academy uninvited and unknown by Figgins. They sat in the choir room all huddled around the fireplace. The fall weather was turning wintery and it was apparent that they had spent some time getting in from the outside. Quinn's ears were redder than ever due to the fact she had forgotten to wear a hat that day.

"Well," said Mr. Schuester slowly. "Technically—

"Hell no," interrupted Puck as he backed away from the fireplace, "We're badasses, we're dirty, we're—

"You'll have to pardon Noah's sudden interjection, but yes, unfortunately, Principal Figgins doesn't exactly approve of field trips enacted by the clubs at McKinley, so we did have to sneak here," replied Rachel smoothly.

"Well, I suppose this can be kept a secret. We'll have to hide you all from the Headmaster then," noted Wes.

"Anyways," Blaine said while moving towards the center to speak, "the reason, I hear you guys are here is to announce your sexiness."

"Sexiness?" asked Trent.

Finn rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Well, after Brittany's false pregnancy scare, we kind of realized we don't know anything about…sex. Well, all of us except Puck. And we came here to see if you guys could help us…um…

"Release our inner sexiness," finished Santana with a wink making a couple Warblers shift uncomfortably.

"Truth is," said Blaine awkwardly, "We don't have a Sex Ed class at Dalton."

Quinn giggled. And the Dalton boys immediately smiled. Her laugh was contagious.

Jeff glowered at the others.

"Man, you guys really take this "all boys" thing seriously," said Puck.

"So," said Mr. Schuester, "the New Direction girls planned a number and we just want to know if you think they've achieved their goal of being sexy."

As the music began, the girls immediately took off their coats to reveal loose, short rompers and pumps.

Jeff gulped as he saw Quinn in her sexy outfit: a black romper and nude pumps. She let her hair loose today so the curls fell down her back in soft waves.

As Santana walked around slowly, grabbing some boys' ties seductively, she said, "Listen up. Twinks or not, we're going to make you beg for it by the end of this. Today, you'll wish you were never in an all boy's school."

And the music played and the girls immediately began to sing Sexyback by Justin Timberlake.

Jeff watched as the New Direction girls strutted around, Britanny going full out and stretching across Thad and David who were beginning to breath heavy.

And then it was Quinn's turn to sing. And he swore to God, he almost ran up and grabbed her for himself.

She stepped into the middle, shyly moving her hips as she sang.

_Dirty babe, you see these shackles, baby I'm your slave. _

_I'll let you whip me if I misbehave. _

_It's just that no one makes me feel this way. _

He felt Nick stiffen and turned to look at him. His eyes and everyone else's were absolutely captivated by her; her shyness, and modesty…even if it wasn't the hottest thing, it definitely was sexy.

But the end of the song, the Warblers, including himself were speechless.

Jeff still caught himself staring at Quinn, who was now flustered from singing and dancing. Her hair was messed from having Thad run his fingers through it when she sat by him for her other solo. He felt a pang of jealousy recalling that.

_Admit Jeff, the voice in his head repeated, you want her. _

The sudden clapping from the boys from both teams snapped him awake and he looked up to see Quinn giving him a weird look.

_Shit, she must've caught me staring. _

But who could blame him, really.

Murmurs from the Warblers began to arise.

"Way hotter than Crawford County Day…" "Public schools girls, bro…" "I want them all…" "My pants feel tight..."

As Mr. Schuester began to compliment the girls for their performance, he felt Nick jab him in the ribs.

"Dude," said Nick dreamily, "I want her."

"Who?" Jeff drily asked.

"Fabray, man. She's…she's…

"Off limits," said Jeff roughly.

Nick stared at him. "What the hell?"

"It's true!"

"Don't bullshit me, Jeff!"

"We…we…we bullied her! Remember? She wouldn't go for us."

"I apologized! You didn't! And last time I checked, you have a girlfriend."

Jeff frowned. His jaw set. "She's also got a boyfriend."

"Aw, what?"

"Yeah, it's Sam."

Nick frowned. "He never told me."

"I saw them go out yesterday to the movies when I was on my date with Nat. I…they…they looked like a couple," muttered Jeff reluctantly.

"Damn it, you're right," said Nick, pointing over to Quinn who was resting her head on his shoulder while laughing at a joke he said.

"Whatever," mumbled Jeff as he tried to direct his attention to anywhere but the 2 blondes on the couch.

* * *

**Tsk, tsk. Jeff's a little green with envy. Chapter 10 is up! Review PRETTY PLEASE! -Jo **


	11. Chapter 10

**Yay for bonus update! If you liked it, please take the time to review review review! They make my day and motivate me to continue to write. **

* * *

Chapter Ten

"I can't believe you took me here," said Quinn, getting out of Jeff's Jeep.

Jeff's part two of making Quinn Fabray happy was to take her to the best milkshake joint in Ohio.

Softee's had the best chocolate milkshakes in the world…possibly.

It brought back memories to when Jeff went every weekend with his middle school friends…he felt a bit guilty as Quinn was never invited.

She didn't seem to mind and she looked happily at the small place in front of her, bearing a grin. Some Dalton boys had gone there as well and were giving Quinn a good look up and down.

Jeff felt his blood boil slightly and quickly took off his blazer, handing it to her.

She held it, frowning. "What—

"Just put it on, Fabray."

"But—

"Those guys are giving you weird stares, plus it's almost winter in Ohio and you're wearing shorts and heels."

"Actually," said Quinn matter-of-factly, "This is a romper. And the girls wanted me to be sexy, so this was the best I could do."

Jeff smirked to himself as he watched her put her arms through the sleeve of his jacket. As she buttoned up, he almost sighed picturing her wearing any more of his clothes.

He snapped back to reality, reminding himself for the billionth time that day that he had a girlfriend.

_Get it together, Sterling. _

As they walked into the parlor, Quinn smiled at the same chairs and decorations she'd seen before in her younger years. She's always gone here alone when she was feeling down or upset about something at school.

She shuddered, remembering how sorry she was about her weight and she asked Jeff, a bit coldly, "Okay, Sterling, why'd you take me here?"

"Why not?" said Jeff walking up to the front to order a chocolate milkshake.

"You know that this was the place where everyone from Belleville used to hang out."

"Yeah…" said Jeff while pulling out some money, "Hey, you're up. Order something."

Quinn looked up uncertainly at the list of milkshakes until she realized something important.

"I can't."

Jeff stared at her. "What do you mean you 'can't'?"

"I—well—Coach Sylvester would kill me! I'm on a really strict cheer diet. No sugars," muttered Quinn, trying to avoid Jeff's gaze.

"You're serious? Quinn, one milkshake isn't going to hurt you."

"But—

"No 'buts'," said Jeff, "Another chocolate milkshake, please." And with that they got their orders, taking a seat by the window away from the Dalton boys and laughing kids.

Quinn innocently poked her straw into the milkshake, her face turning red from the embarrassing event that just took place.

"C'mon, Quinn, drink."

She glared up at him and stared out the window, noticing the cool air frosting the sill.

"Remind me again why we bought milkshakes in the middle of this Ice Age?" asked Quinn while taking a sip.

"There you go," replied Jeff watching her drink happily. "And I just thought we should go here for a walk down memory lane."

As they continued to drink their chocolate shakes, Jeff took the time to notice Quinn's face. Her face was full of life, but her eyes were still distant.

_I wonder why she's still sad. _

"You know," Quinn spoke, almost reading his mind, "It's kind of funny."

"What is?"

"I—nothing it's stupid."

"Aw, c'mon, tell me."

"It's just…

"What?"

"Never in a million years did Lucy and I ever think we'd be having a milkshake with Jeff Sterling in Softee's," she whispered sadly.

Jeff sat shocked and a bit in awe at what she'd said. He swore he almost felt his heart soften instantly at her shy words.

Quinn's eyes widened suddenly and ducked her already blushing face behind the glass cup.

Jeff couldn't help but laugh at her modesty.

_This girl is too much. _

"Hey, it's fine," he said while pulling her hands away from her face. She was still red in the face with a sad expression.

"It's embarrassing. I'm sorry."

Jeff leaned in close to try and meet her gaze. "Don't be."

As hazel eyes met brown, Jeff felt his heartbeat slow down. As he was so close he saw everything that was so beautiful about Quinn.

He saw that her eyes were wide, almost like a scared doe in the woods.

He saw how her bangs covered just a bit of her right eye, and when she blinked her long eyelashes swept the hair away just perfectly.

He noticed that her nose was sprinkled in tiny, almost minuscule freckles that were probably more visible in the summertime.

He saw her lips…the bottom was just a bit fuller than the top and it looked so…kissable…

"Jeff…" he heard her say, and he immediately let go of her wrists, apologizing like crazy.

"It's fine," she said looking back at her milkshake.

"I…you're…bea—

"So have you thought of what song we should sing for the duet?" interrupted Quinn quickly.

"I…yes…but—

"Well, we should probably work on that, right? Sectionals are almost a few weeks away," she said quickly, refusing to make eye contact with him once again.

"I…you're right, you're right."

_Focus, Sterling. You just want her happy for God's sakes. _

* * *

**I just really like milkshakes, okay. If you want a virtual milkshake from me, REVIEW! -Jo **


	12. Chapter 11

**So ever since school has started I've had no time to write! Between fitness sessions and AP classes, I haven't had time to even go on tumblr on my phone (gasp!) Anyways, thanks for your patience while I'm slowly killing myself doing homework. So, yeah this week the Warblers take a trip to McKinley! Uh oh...**

**If you liked this chapter or the story in general, leave a REVIEW! Please. They really inspire me and motivate to continue to write. **

* * *

Chapter Eleven

The New Directions once again were seated in the familiar Dalton choir room. Wes had asked them if they were patient enough to wait since they had visited in the middle of a crucial debate: what color ties to wear to Sectionals.

After what seemed like hours of two sides of the room screaming striped or plain, Puck spoke out. Rudely.

"Are you guys freaking serious? Or should I say girls?"

"Excuse me?" replied Trent.

"Yeah, that's right," said Puck, standing up to face the group of uniformed men, "You wanna know what's missing in this group of singing pansies?"

"Patterned pockets?" asked Thad.

"No! Your manliness!" he said, pumping his fists.

"With all due respect, Puck," said Wes, speaking up for the group, "we are men. We just tend to be on the shy side of sports and sweat…that's all."

"Dalton doesn't give the most exceptional athletes…" began Kurt.

"—we suck," interrupted Nick gruffly.

"Our football team is pretty much non-existent," added Jeff. "We've got 7 players…all kids from detention."

"Okay, hang on a second," said Blaine, looking at Puck and the New Directions, "So Dalton's not the best at sports…what does that have to do with our singing?"

"Well, to be honest, what makes the New Directions unique is our fighting spirit. We've encountered so much hate and…slushies, we've used that to make us stronger as a team," said Finn.

"That is true," noted Kurt with a reflective smile.

Finn continued. "Puck has a point. You boys are too soft. You gotta man-up and show everyone that you're not just these reserved private school—

"Twinks," interrupted Santana.

"Um, yeah, twinks who have no character."

Mr. Schuester nodded. "It's true. Researchers on human behavior have discovered that people who tend to face adversity in their life have a 70% chance of becoming more successful in their future after working hard."

"So, what are you suggesting?" asked David.

"Boys, you're scheduling a lunch concert at McKinley."

Jeff gulped as he entered the hallways of McKinley, stares were being given from all the students walking by as he and the Warblers were making their way to the outside luncheon.

"Scared?" asked Quinn as she walked boldly in front of him. He noted that the student body seemed to form a path just for Quinn to walk through.

_I guess she really does run the school, he thought. _

"Me? Scared?" scoffed Jeff while giving off a nervous laugh.

"Hey, yo freshmeat!" yelled a group of lacrosse players as they chased a scrawny boy down the hallway, bumping into Trent on their way.

Trent gasped. "Wes! How could you agree to this?"

"Don't look at me!" cried Wes, as he watched a group of head-bangers glare at him, "It was Blaine's call! Blaine!"

"Hey, guys, don't worry. This could prove to be beneficial for us and our state of manhood," replied Blaine with a hint of uncertainty.

"Alright, we're here," said Finn with a hopeful smirk. They had arrived at the outer eating area…which—to Jeff's dismay—was absolutely huge.

Crowds of eating, talking teenagers were sitting around, practically ignoring their existence.

"Okay," said Rachel, clasping her hands together, "it's your time to shine! Now, just remember, if the crowds starts to boo you or threaten you with the middle finger, just keep singing. The beauty of this is to embrace your manly estate. I suggest an A cappella rendition of Someday, but it's your choice. Okay, good luck!"

And with that she headed over to the lunch table to take her seat.

"Alright, Kurt, what should we sing?" asked Blaine.

"Oh, I'm not singing with you guys," replied Kurt, already walking over to the table.

"What?" cried Nick.

"You're abandoning us!?" added Jeff.

"Sorry! I've had my share of red dye number 6! But have fun!"

The Warblers gave a group look of horror, until Blaine decided it was time to toughen up. Together, they began an A cappella and upbeat version of Stronger by Kanye West. As they began to sing, Jeff felt some stares and a few gay cat calls from a far and began to felt himself back out…until he saw Quinn.

She was watching him sing with a smile on her face.

A genuine, beautiful Quinn Fabray smile…what more could you want.

He continued singing…rather singing at her and took his turn to dance in the center until the Warblers collectively stopped together, staring at a group of Varsity jacketed…baseball players.

"You ballerinas think you can come here and sing just like our own shit choir, huh?" stated the head baseball player in the middle.

"Look," began Blaine, "We weren't trying to cause any trouble, we—

"Nah, I think you did."

"Hey," asked another dangerously, "should we give these tween-bobs a McKinley high welcome?"

"I think we will," he replied.

The team grabbed their slushied drinks in their hands, and immediately Jeff felt a rush of cold ice sting his face and the taste of blue raspberry on his lips.

_Shit. _

The New Directions quickly led the Warblers back to the sanctity of the choir room.

"What the actual _fuck!" _

"This is why I left public school!"

"My hair…

Those were only a few of the complaints uttered by the Warblers as the desperately tried to rub their eyes and face, all stinging as they were covered in red and blue slush ice.

"Guys, I am so sorry," began Mr. Schuester.

"Sorry? Those dickheads completely embarrassed us!" yelled Nick.

Blaine stepped up suddenly, beaming a wavering smile. "Hey, guys, calm down. Despite the foul play caused by those baseball jocks, we accomplished a lot today. We finally learned what it's like for the New Directions every day at this school. We've been spoiled, kept up birds…but now, we're strong Warblers ready for anything."

"Yeah, yeah," said Nick, covering his right eye, "But when I see those pussies, I'm going to kick their ass."

"Alright," said Mr. Schuester, "How about the Warblers and their New Directions partners take them to the bathroom…or nurse, if necessary."

Jeff was still blinded partially in his left eye, barely making out Quinn as she walked up to him with a towel.

"You knew this was going to happen?"

"Of course," she replied with a small smirk, "Let's go to the locker rooms and get you cleaned up."

As they arrived, Quinn took a seat on a bench while Jeff went to a sink and washed off. He sat down to meet her, as she took a towel and gently wiped away the excess slush.

He raised a brow at her. "You don't mind being in the _boys' _locker room?"

She shrugged. "I can't pretty much go wherever I want in this school."

"You seem, um, popular."

Quinn went to the sink to wet the other side of her towel, those baseball jocks had put some sticky substance that seemed to be stuck in Jeff's hair.

She walked back gently rubbing at the gummy substance. "I suppose. I just wanted to cheer, I didn't realize that made me the most popular girl."

"Well, you are."

"Not that it matters anyways." She rubbed at a particularly sticky part of Jeff's head.

"Ow!"

"Sorry!" she said meeting his eyes. Quinn looked away immediately, feeling her stomach churn uncontrollably.

Quinn smiled to herself finally getting the last piece out and began checking for anymore by running her fingers through his hair.

Jeff was speechless, feeling himself become so turned on, he let out a soft whimper.

_Damn it, he thought, Why do I feel this way around her? _

Suddenly, Sam walked in desperately trying to tie his shoe, while chewing on a granola bar. Jeff frowned as he jealously looked over at Quinn who suddenly burst out laughing.

"Sorry, was I interrupting something?" he said, swallowing the last bit of granola.

"No." "Yes."

Quinn turned to Jeff, raising a brow. "Of course not, Sam. Do have practice?"

"Yeah, and I'm late. Coach will kill me. Oh! Hey, Quinn are we still up for that movie night tomorrow?"

"I guess so," she sighed, giving off a smile that Jeff miserably never saw her give around him.

"Alright, cool, see you guys later."

After watching him leave, Jeff felt Quinn run her fingers through his hair again, checking for more gum.

Although he was still seething with a feeling he didn't want, he involuntarily let out a loud groan, feeling her tug at a spot that turned him on.

Quinn stopped giving him a stare. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry," Jeff muttered trying to look anywhere but her eyes.

"We should probably stop that," said Quinn, "There's no more gum."

"What? Your boyfriend doesn't like you hanging around other guys?"

"Boyfriend?"

"Sam…he…he's your boyfriend, right?"

Quinn shook her head, leaning into Jeff, suddenly really interested. "I…um…no, but do you think he likes me?"

_No, in fact I think you shouldn't even bother dating him because he's just a fake-blond, terrible James Bond impersonator who could never love you as much as—_

_Shit! You're not jealous, Jeff. You're NOT. _

"I—well—maybe. I just assumed. You seemed to be dating when I saw you at the movies…

Quinn bit her lip, making Jeff involuntarily want to kiss her passionately. "There are rumors going around that he wants to ask me out. Like on a real date, not those movies he's always watching."

Jeff let out a frustrated groan, furrowing his brows.

"What?"

"I…he…I just don't think he's your type, that's all," stuttered Jeff.

"Oh really?" Quinn retorted, "You know my type?"

"I—yes."

"Then tell me, Sterling. What is my 'type'?"

"I…um…I will get back to you on that."

"Well," said Quinn, getting up and heading out, "Until then, I'll just have to settle for Sam who seems to be a nice, _hot, _gentleman. Bye, Sterling."

As he heard her footsteps walk away, Jeff leaned back against the bench and groaned.

_Definitely not what he was hoping would happen. _

* * *

**So long chapter! I guess. And Jeff is confused. If you liked this chapter please REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Anons are welcome! -Jo **


End file.
